Mission

Quota International, Inc. is a non-profit organization empowering women, children, the deaf, hard of hearing, and speech impaired in local communities around the world. In 1919, five business women inspired to serve, founded Quota International as the first international women’s service organization, one year before women in the United States won the right to vote.

Today, more than 5,000 Quota members, women, men, and youth, come together to help women and children overcome poverty, educational, and workforce challenges in 14 countries.

Though the projects and partnerships may have changed over the past 100 years, one thing remains the same, Quotarians continue to make a difference:

mentored underprivileged girls to help them remain in school, and continue their college education (1920s)

partnered with the Red Cross supporting World War II defense projects purchasing ambulances for war victims, selling war bonds, and doing blood typing (1940s)

provided funding to CARE for a home canning project in Turkey, the building of schools in Korea, nurses training in Kabul, clean water in Kenya, feeding projects in the Philippines, and child care in India (1970s)

created Shatter Silence equal opportunity programs for the deaf or hard of hearing, changing laws for closed captioning and mandated hearing testing (1980s)

partnered with UNICEF to immunize children in Uganda and provide oral rehydration therapy for children in Bhutan (1980s)

organizing sound beginnings projects for women and children, living through drought and poverty, barriers to education, and natural disasters, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing (today)

Click here to see the countries where we’re making an impact and Where We Work.